**Attention returning North Football players** WMFCA Football Combine
Sunday, April 15th, at Mike Callas Stadium, 1:00PM
FREE to athletes
Must be currenty in grades 9-11 to test.
State Football Combine
Also, if players are interested they can register online (www.marylandmfca.org) for the Maryland Football Combine at North County High School at 8:30AM. Registration is $30 per player for the state combine.
Schreiber makes Liberty squad
February 7, 2012---Former North Hagerstown Hubs player Zach Schreiber earned a roster spot as an outside linebacker on Liberty University’s football team in a recent tryout. Schreiber was a member of the Hubs varsity team from 2008-2010.
Schreiber was a medical redshirt at McDaniel College last season. He will take part in spring practices at Liberty in March.
North Hagerstown Player Highlight Videos
2011 North Hagerstown Football Keepsakes
Varsity Keepsakes (available soon!)
Varsity 2011 Team Highlight Video: $10.00
Varsity 2011 Memory book: $10.00
Varsity 2011 Photo DVD: $10.00
Complete Varsity Package: $25.00
JV Keepsakes (available soon!)
JV 2011 Team Highlight Video: $10.00
JV 2011 Memory book: $10.00
JV 2011 Photo DVD: $10.00
JV Individual Game Videos (all nine games available): $7.00 / each
November 9, 2011---The North Hagerstown JV Hubs capped an undefeated season in rousing fashion at Smithsburg on Wednesday evening. The Hubs rolled to 39 first half points en route to a 51-6 victory over the Leopards.
Six different players found the end zone as North scored eight TDs and racked up 395 yards of total offense in the win.
Austin Stone, Jason Hall, Gene Balcita, Nick Karlen, and Colton Wilkins each had a TD run, while Crosse Barvinchack caught three Karlen TD passes.
Karlen finished 7-for-12 passing, for 118 yards, and three TDs, while Barvinchack caught five passes for 109 yards and three scores.
Jason Hall led a hard hitting defensive effort with 17 tackles, two TFL's, and a sack. Ryan Keefer had 12 tackles and an INT, Robby Racedo had 11 tackles, Cameron Tibbs had 10 tackles, and Gene Balcita added eight tackles and an INT. Stone had two sacks and Barvinchack had a fumble recovery in the victory.
QB Nick Karlen set several JV single-season marks including going 99-for-137 passing, for 1542 yards, and 22 TD's, while throwing only one interception. RB Austin Stone had broke the 1000-yard mark on Wednesday and finished the season with 1065 rushing yards. Stone also had 1380 total yards and scored 20 touchdowns.
The JV Hubs averaged 39.4 points per game and allowed 14.1 points, while finishing with an (8-0-1) record.
Freshman Hubs finish off Smithsburg and perfect season with 21-8 win
November 9, 2011---Quarterback Michael Kisner powered his way into the end zone on fourth-and-goal to seal North Hagerstown's freshman victory over Smithsburg on Wednesday night.
With the score 14-8 and over two minutes remaining, Kisner would not be denied as he grinded his way past the goal line for the touchdown.
Smithsburg cut a 14-0 Hubs lead to six after a 54-yard TD run and two point conversion with just over seven minutes left in the game. The Hubs couldn't handle Smithsburg's onside kick allowing the Leopards to regain possession.
On second-and-12, North's defense would answer---forcing a fumble. Raughn Carter picked up the loose ball and sprinted 65 yards to an apparent score, but a block in the back moved the ball back to the Leopard's 40.
RB Preston Carey carried the load---running the ball five times for 36 yards, setting up Kisner's game-icing TD.
North's Carey led the Hubs offense on Wednesday with 260 yards rushing on 26 carries, while scoring two touchdowns, Carter added 42 yards on five carries.
Linebackers Jeremy Lum and Grant Tribble led the defense with nine tackles and Jake Clemmer had seven tackles. Carter had the fumble recovery and an INT, while Elijah Stubbs also had a pick.
Carey finishes the season with a freshman single season record 1429 rushing yards, while also scoring 17 touchdowns along the way. The Hubs tailback averaged 204.1 yards per game.
Lum led the defense in 2011 with 80 tackles and Tribble ended with 63 tackles. Stubbs led the way with five interceptions.
The 2011 Freshman Hubs (8-0) become only the third freshman team to finish perfect with no losses or ties and the fifth team to go undefeated.
HAGERSTOWN — The South Hagerstown football team didn’t waste time using one play to set up another in the first quarter of the Gridiron Classic against North Hagerstown on Saturday.
Instead, the Rebels came out looking for the home run ball — and they connected on four straight.
Brandon Hess threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Isiaha Smith scorched the Hubs for an 81-yard touchdown run to give South a 27-point cushion on its way to a 40-7 pasting of North in the 55th annual city showdown at North’s Mike Callas Stadium.
South (7-3, 4-2 MVAL Antietam) snapped an eight-game losing streak against North, which still leads the series 29-25-1.
“It’s incredible. This is just what we wanted,” Hess said. “It was always in the back of our minds how we lost to them last year. We worked hard all year, getting up at 6 in the morning to lift weights, all for this.”
The loss eliminated North (7-3, 4-2) from playoff contention in Maryland Class 3A West and gave the MVAL Antietam title to Boonsboro, the only team with one conference loss.
“I really do think we were looking ahead to the playoffs,” said North coach Dan Cunningham. “(The players) knew we were going to Seneca Valley to scout. They’re teenagers. What do you expect?
“But it’s a testament to the kids at South. They worked hard and they beat us.”
South rolled up 480 yards of offense against North, with Hess and Smith doing much of the damage. Hess threw for 163 yards and ran for 80, while Smith rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.
Any visions of a playoffgame for the Hubs were quickly blurred, then erased by the Rebels.
On the third play of South’s first drive of the game, Hess lofted a pass to a wide-open Teon Maeser, who then put a move on North’s Sergio Galvan to complete a 66-yard touchdown connection with 7:08 left in the quarter.
On its second possession, North started regularly feeding the ball to running back Phillip Butler, who ran three straight times to get the ball to midfield.
But quarterback J.T. Root fumbled the exchange on the next play and South’s Denzel Helms recovered to put the ball back in Hess’ hands.
Hess went right back to the air, this time hitting Michael Hill in stride for a 47-yard score and a 14-0 Rebels lead.
After another North fumble, South again needed just one play to reach the end zone as Hess went around end on a keeper for a 24-yard touchdown.
South’s defense stood strong, forcing a North punt, which was downed at the South 19.
On the Rebels’ first play, Smith took a handoff right up the middle and went untouched for 81 yards and a touchdown that gave South a 27-0 edge with 2:13 still remaining in the first quarter.
“We certainly didn’t expect to have the score we did in the first quarter,” said South coach Toby Peer. “They gave us zero coverage, the offensiveline protected, the quarterback made good throws and the receivers made catches. That’s what it’s all about.”
The Hubs broke through in the second quarter, getting an 11-yard touchdown run from Kyle Hewlett to cut the deficit to 27-7. But South answered right back with its first sustained drive of the game, going 70 yards in seven plays — culminating in a 28-yard scoring run by Smith to give the Rebels a 34-7 lead at the half.
South tried to control the clock in the second half and did so with the help of the North offense. The Hubs lost a fumble on their first possession of the second half, then punted after consecutive three-and-outs in a scoreless third quarter.
The Hubs fumbled seven times, losing three.
Meanwhile, Peer pleaded for four quarters of focus from the Rebels.
“Our pregame and halftime speeches were the same. They were about emotions and focus,” Peer said. “We hit some big plays and we thought they would. We wanted to keep our emotions steady and just focus on the next play.”
As Peer called in plays to Hess in the second half, he often told his quarterback to remind the players in the huddle to concentrate.
“We were getting overhyped and we just had to bring it back down to reality,” Hess said. “We wanted to make sure we played a full four quarters.”
Smith went over the 200-yard mark late in the fourthquarter with a 57-yard touchdown run that closed the scoring.
Butler broke North’s single-season rushing mark, set last year by Anthony Winter, with 150 yards on 22 carries. The Hubs finished with 225 yards of offense.
“Records are nice and Butler is a heck of a back, but the offensive line has been so good this year,” Cunningham said. “(South has) the most aggressive front line we’ve played against all year. They made it tough on us today.”
In just his second year at South, Peer grasped how important the win over North was to the Rebels’ fans, who ran onto the field to celebrate with players after the final horn sounded.
“It’s been a long time and we really wanted this win,” Peer said. “This was for every person who ever put on a uniform and played at South High and for everyone who went to South High. This school has so much pride. We’re glad we could do this for them.”
South Hagerstown 40, North Hagerstown 7 S. Hagerstown 27 7 0 6 — 40 N. Hagerstown 0 7 0 0 — 7 First Quarter SH—Teon Maeser 66 pass from Brandon Hess (Jordan Dickens kick) SH—Michael Hill 47 pass from Hess (Dickens kick) SH—Hess 24 run (kick failed) SH—Isiaha Smith 81 run (Dickens kick) Second Quarter NH—Kyle Hewlett 11 run (Mark Grunberg kick) SH—Smith 28 run (Dickens kick) Fourth Quarter SH—Smith 57 run (kick failed) SH NH First downs 15 15 Rushes-yards 36-317 47-163 Passing yards 163 62 Comp-Att-Int 6-8-1 6-14-1 Total offense 44-480 61-225 Punts-avg. 3-28.7 5-43.0 Penalties-yards 8-70 5-45 Fumbles-lost 0-0 7-3 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—South Hagerstown, Smith 14-224, Hess 15-80, Ware 7-13. North Hagerstown, Butler 22-150, Hewlett 11-44, Keyes 4-4, Hall 2-(minus-4), Root 8-(minus-31). PASSING—South Hagerstown, Hess 6-8-1-163. North Hagerstown, Root 6-13-1-62, Lyles 0-1-0-0. RECEIVING—South Hagerstown, Davis 2-35, Maeser 1-66, Hill 1-47, Smith 1-11, Ware 1-4. North Hagerstown, Railing 2-14, Keyes 1-25, Colvin 1-15, Renner 1-4, Hall 1-4.
Stone, Karlen lead JV Hubs past South Hagerstown, 39-14
November 2, 2011---Austin Stone amassed 254 total yards and scored five touchdowns, while QB Nick Karlen was 12-for-19, for 266 yards, and threw three TD passes to lead the North Hagerstown JV Hubs to a 39-14 victory over cross-town rival South Hagerstown.
The Rebels controlled the first quarter with a 13-play, six-plus minute drive that stalled inside the North 5-yard line.
After North moved the ball close to mid-field, the Rebels defense forced a Hubs punt.
The North defense returned the favor and forced South into punt formation after a three-and-out. The snap on the punt sailed over the South punter's head and North would start their possession inside the South 15-yard line.
The Hubs used four plays---capped by a three-yard Stone TD run. Wilkins added the PAT for a 7-0 Hubs lead at the 6:08 mark of the second quarter.
North got the ball back after another defensive stop with just over three minutes left in the half.
The Hubs started the drive at their own 25-yard line, but a bad snap moved the ball to the North 8-yard line. North was facing a 2nd-and-39---no problem. Karlen connected with Stone on a 40-yard pass for the first down, then hit Nick DeGramge for a 38-yard pass to move the ball to the South 5-yard line. Karlen hit Stone again for a 5-yard TD with 1:01 remaining in the half.
Karlen and Stone need only two plays in the second half to tack on six more points. Stone caught a hitch and juked his way up the sideline for a 73-yard TD, Wilkins booted the extra point for a 20-0 North lead.
Wilkins extended the lead on the next Hubs possession with a 10-yard run., The PAT attempt was botched, but the Hubs now led 26-0.
South finally got on the board late in the third quarter with a 40-yard TD run and the Rebels added the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 26-8.
Things then started to get chippy as numerous flags were thrown and a North player was ejected for supposedly making a tackle while using his forearm.
North answered back with a two-play, 52-yard drive that only took 54 seconds. Karlen connected with Stone a third time for a 20-yard TD and Wilkins was good on the PAT for a 33-8 lead.
South returned the ensuing kickoff to the North 5-yard line. On their first play of the possession, the Rebels pounded in the ball for a TD, but it was overshadowed by a flurry of pentalies that included two more ejections, one for each team.
The Hubs would add one more score---a 16-yard TD run by Stone.
Stone finished with 101 yards on the ground and two TDs and caught five passes for 153 yards and three TDs. Jason Hall had four grabs for 44 yards, while DeGrange had 38 yards receiving.
Cameron Tibbs led the defense with 16 tackles, Hall had 11 tackles, Gene Balcita had 10 tackles, and Robby Racedo, Aaron Dopson, and Stone had nine tackles each in the victory.
The JV Hubs improve to (7-0-1) and will close out the season next Wednesday at Smithsburg.
Carey, Carter lead Freshman Hubs to 40-0 rout over South
November 2, 2011---Preston Carey ran for a freshman single-game record 294 yards and three TDs and threw for another, while Raughn Carter ran and caught a TD in the Freshman Hubs rousing 40-0 victory over South Hagerstown on Wednesday evening.
Carter put the Hubs on the board with a 49-yard scoring run just 1:29 into the game. Hunter Martin added the PAT for a 7-0 North lead.
After South moved the ball to the Hubs 10-yard line, the North defense bent, but didn't break, as they stopped the Rebels on fourth down. Carey needed only one play to race 90 yards to paydirt and give the Hubs a 14-0 Hubs advantage.
North stopped South again, then engineered a 13-play, 65-yard drive, capped by a 24-yard Carey-to-Carter TD toss on fourth-and-13.
The Rebels responded and moved the ball to the North 11-yard line. After two straight incompletions, South went to the well one to many times on fourth down. Hubs cornerback Elijah Stubbs stepped in front of the Rebels pass and dashed 98 yards for a pick-six and a 26-0 North lead with 11 second left in the half.
Carey tacked on two more scores in the second half with a 70-yard TD run and a 82-yard scoring run.
Jerrod Green and Grant Tribble led the Hubs defense with eight tackles each, while Carey had seven tackles and 2½ sacks. Carter added a INT in the victory.
The Freshman Hubs improve to (7-0) and will travel to Smithsburg next Wednesday to close the season.
Anatomy of a game starts with heart By BOB PARASILITI
There are times when sports become nothing more than an anatomy lesson.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the obvious parts of the games we watch and play. Someone wins and someone loses.
Those results separate teams on a ladder called standings.
And those teams standing on the top rungs of that ladder advance to the playoffs and play for championships.
That is the measure of what is now known as the “body of work.”
But in anatomy and athletics, the body is useless without heart.
In sports, heart brings a whole new list of anatomic terms into play, like nerve, stomach, backbone, guts and one slang region about six inches south of a belt buckle.
Those parts are just synonyms for will, resolve, determination, fortitude and spunk.
Many times and in all too many games, those components are forgotten once the final score is written in the record books. We believe that team overrides individual efforts.
Years from now, Friday’s North Hagerstown at Boonsboro football game will probably sadly fall into that category.
Most fans will probably remember that 8-0 Boonsboro hosted 6-2 North in one of the three biggest — if not the biggest — games in Washington County in 2011, if not the last couple of years.
It had it all. There was playoff atmosphere. There was adversity caused by an impending freak winter storm in October. The Hubs were the Class 3A Goliath facing the Class 1A Warrior Davids. It was a battle of the county’s two top running backs in North’s Phillip Butler against Boonsboro’s Justin Jardeleza.
And in true dramatic fashion, North scored in the last 1:14 to send the game into overtime before winning 28-21 when Butler scored on the Hubs’ first extra possession.
The Hubs, who trailed most of the game, celebrated as if they had just won a state title. The Warriors stood with slumped shoulders because they tasted defeat for the first time this season, slowing a juggernaut run to the playoffs.
All of that doesn’t even begin to measure the size of heart that beats inside these teams.
It begins with Jardeleza, who gave up his body for his team. The Boonsboro back injured his shoulder during a run midway through the second quarter and then compounded it when he was tackled to end a 48-yard punt return that set up the touchdown to give the Warriors a 14-7 halftime lead.
Jardeleza played most of the second half with a dead arm. He moved from linebacker to defensive back to stay on the field defensively and somehow strained to slap away a pass in the end zone to prevent a touchdown.
Nearly as amazing, he managed to throw a fourth-down option pass in the fourth quarter to give the Warriors a 21-13 lead with 2:13 remaining.
Then there was Butler, who rushed 35 times for 210 yards and two touchdowns. It sounds like a lot, but he battled to get his total. His most significant run was a 27-yard sweep with 1:48 left to set up the tying score.
Boonsboro countered with Zach Poffenberger, who scored two TDs after taking over primary running duties after Jardeleza and John Rice were injured. Add to it the efforts of the Warriors defense — led by J.R. Lowery and Caleb Jardeleza — that forced six fumbles to slow the Hubs.
North countered with complimentary running by Isaiah Keyes and strong line play, capped as the Hubs prevented Boonsboro from scoring on a fourth-down sneak inside the 1.
Time seems to blur the details behind such an intense game like was played on Friday. For most fans, the only thing they will remember was they were there.
A game like this will always stay with coaches and players, though. They remember every detail, play and emotion that goes into such an important game.
Those are the times that they will keep in their hearts and that is the anatomy of sports.
Hubs hand Warriors first loss
By BOB PARASILITIbobp@herald-mail.com
11:24 p.m. EDT, October 28, 2011
BOONSBORO — Football games consist of four quarters, but North Hagerstown only really concerns itself with one.
The last one. The fourth quarter. That’s when the money is on the line.
The Hubs played their own version of Moneyball on Friday by scoring with 1:14 to play before tacking on a 6-yard run by Phillip Butler in overtime to steal a 28-21 victory over previously undefeated Boonsboro in the rain and mud of Warrior Stadium.
In what was easily the game of the year in Washington County, the Hubs stole top billing after trailing for most of the game.
“We are a fourth-quarter team,” said North coach Dan Cunningham. “It just seems like we play our best in the fourth quarter. We have a lot of playmakers so we are never out of it. …. What a ballgame.”
Boonsboro (8-1, 4-1), which entered the game as the top-rated team in Maryland Class 1A West, controlled the game for nearly 47 minutes with its quickness and hard-nosed offense.
Butler’s athleticism did the Warriors in in the end.
“We had trouble controlling (Butler) for the whole game,” said Boonsboro coach Clayton Anders. “We would contain him a bit and then we wouldn’t. In the end, we couldn’t keep him in front of us the whole time.”
Butler, who rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries, saved his most important runs for the final minutes when the Hubs (7-2, 4-1) needed them the most.
Boonsboro extended its lead to 21-13 with 2:13 remaining when Justin Jardeleza hit Zach Poffenberger with a 15-yard halfback option pass for what looked to be a game-sealing score.
“Fans started leaving after that score,” Cunningham said. “I said, ‘They are going to miss a heck of a game.’”
Butler put the Hubs in position with a 27-yard sweep on a third-and-12 from North’s 32-yard line with 1:40 remaining. J.T. Root then found Nick Karlan with a 37-yard pass to the Boonsboro 2 before Root snuck in for the touchdown. Butler scored the conversion to tie the game with 1:14 remaining.
North had a chance to win in regulation after Jardeleza fumbled the ensuing kickoff after returning it to the 34. The Hubs moved in, but missed a 27-yard field goal and the game went into overtime.
The Hubs won the toss and used three runs by Butler to produce the go-ahead score. Mark Grunberg added the extra point for the seven-point lead.
Boonsboro took four shots at tying the game, but the undefeated season ended when the Hubs’ defense broke up Ryan Ruiz’s fourth-and-10 pass to Aaron Turner in the end zone.
“We had to make the stops in the end,” Anders said. “The kids played hard and both teams made plays. They just made the plays they needed in the end.”
JV Hubs dominate Boonsboro, 34-0
October 26, 2011---Just four days ago North Hagerstown escaped Boonsboro with a narrow six-point victory. On Wednesday the JV Hubs stayed focused for the entire game as they walked away with a commanding 34-0 victory over the Warriors.
Austin Stone got the JV Hubs on the board with a 81-yard TD run with 12 seconds left in the first quarter. Wilkins booted the PAT for a 7-0 Hubs lead.
Nick Karlen connected with Jason Hall for a 18-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds remaining in the first half for a 14-0 North lead.
Karlen capped a five-play, 52-yard drive with a one-yard plunge on the opening possession of the second half. Wilkins kicked the extra-point for a 21-0 North advantage.
The JV Hubs got the ball back in great field position after a botched snap on a Boonsboro punt attempt. North needed only three plays to move 45 yards for another score. Colton Wilkins caught a 37-yard pass from Karlen, then had a five-yard TD run to ice the game.
Cameron Tibbs would add the JV Hubs final touchdown with a two-yard run with 5:14 left to play.
North QB Nick Karlen was 14-for-18, for 186 yards, and a TD, Austin Stone had 12 carries for 126 yards a TD, and Wilkins had 74 total yards and a TD run. Gene Balcita had four catches for 45 yards, Brady Thomas had three grabs for 45 yards, and Jason Hall reeled in three pass for 36 yards.
The North offense was impressive, but the defense was absolutely dominating---limiting Boonsboro to 59 total yards, while outgaining the Warriors 409-59.
Hall, Tibbs, and Robby Racedo led the JV Hubs with 11 tackles each, while Aaron Dopson added nine tackles in the victory.
The JV Hubs improve to (6-0-1) and will face cross-town rival South Hagerstown next Wednesday at 7PM at Callas Stadium.
Freshman Hubs run past Boonsboro, 32-6
October 26, 2011---Andrew Fiery put the Freshman Hubs on the board just 1:30 into the game with a 35-yard interception return for a TD to set the tone as North rolled past Boonsboro, 32-6 on Wednesday evening.
Preston Carey rushed for a seaosn-high 204 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns, Raughn Carter had 65 rushing yards and TD, and Jerrod Green added 46 yards rushing on three carries.
North QB Mike Kisner had 43 passing yards for the game and had a 34-yard TD strike to Elijah Stubbs just before the half.
The Freshman Hubs rolled uo 329 yards on the ground and finished with 372 yards of total offense, while outgaining the Warriors, 372-137.
Jeremy Lum led the Hubs in tackles with 11, Green had 10 tackles, and Jake Clemmer and Thomas Kegerise had nine tackles each. Grant Tribble and Stubbs each had a fumble recovery in the victory.
The Freshman Hubs move to (6-0) and will battle cross-town rival South Hagerstown next Wednesday at Mike Callas Stadium at 5PM.
JV Hubs hold off Boonsboro, 32-26
October 22, 2011---The North Hagerstown JV Hubs built a 32-12 lead but had to fight off a furious Boonsboro rally in the fourth quarter to escape with a 32-26 victory on Saturday afternoon.
With just over a minute left to play the JV Hubs had to pick up one more first down to run out the clock, but North tailback Austin Stone lost the ball and Boonsboro recovered.
After a lengthy injury delay, the JV Hubs defense stepped up and stopped the Warriors to seal a hard fought victory. J.D. McCoy batted away the final Warrior's pass attempt to end the game.
Austin Stone rushed for 168 yards and a TD, while QB Nick Karlen was 9-for-13 for 121 yards, and two TDs. Nick DeGrange and Jason Hall had TD catches and Gene Balcita had a TD run in the win.
Cameron Tibbs and Robby Racedo had 16 tackles each, Stone, Balcita, and Hall had nine tackles each, and Aaron Dopson added eight tackles and a fumble recovery. Stone had two sacks and Karlen and Ryan Keefer had an INT.
The JV Hubs improve to (5-0-1) and will face Boonsboro (4-2) again on Wednesday evening at Callas Stadium.
Butler does it again, Hubs defeat Catoctin, 41-28
By Adam Vencill, Frederick News Post
THURMONT-- On fourth-and-5 from the North Hagerstown 9, Catoctin had its sights set on the end zone as the seconds ticked off the clock heading into halftime.
But after being stopped in the backfield for a loss of a yard, Catoctin was forced to turn the ball over on downs to North Hagerstown.
Two plays later, North Hagerstown's Philip Butler made the Cougars pay.
As the half was expiring, Butler took the handoff from the Cougars' 12, sprinting down the near sideline for an 88-yard touchdown run. That was just one of several big runs by Butler, who tallied five touchdowns on the ground in North Hagerstown's 41-28 win over Catoctin.
"When we didn't score down there and two plays later they scored, that's a 14-point turnaround," Catoctin coach Doug Williams said. "That was a killer, a huge turning point in the game."
Butler had the bulk of the carries for the Hubs (6-2), touching the ball 39 times for 328 yards. By halftime, he had 20 carries for 255 yards and four touchdowns. He has 24 touchdowns overall, shattering the Hubs' previous single-season record of 20.
"That wasn't a big surprise. We knew Butler was good, real good," Williams said. "We knew we couldn't stop him, we were hoping to slow him down." Butler scored the first four touchdowns for the Hubs. He needed just a minute and 29 seconds of the game clock before he found the end zone for the first time, scoring from 59 yards out as North took a 6-0 lead.
Catoctin traded blows, taking a 7-6 lead on the next drive as Josh Laramore tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Evan Lambert. Brown got loose again, scoring from 21 yards out midway through the second quarter before the Cougars took a 14-13 lead.
Laramore and Lambert teamed up again as they used the play action for 21-yard strike. Butler added two more scores before halftime, and the 27-14 lead was the closest the Cougars got for the rest of the night.
Snakebit by injuries throughout the season, the Cougars lost a pair of running backs. Even Laramore was forced to miss most of the second half with an injury. "Oh, my gosh, these are injuries like I've never seen. It's like that through our entire program," Williams said.
Junior running back Devin Watkins led the Cougars ground game as he powered his way for 16 carries and 126 yards. Zach Paguirigan finished with 56 yards on the ground as he scored from 32 yards and 1 yard in the fourth quarter.
Freshman Hubs roll Boonsboro, 37-0
October 19, 2011---North Hagerstown linebacker Jeremy Lum had 17 tackles to lead a Freshman Hubs defense that limited Boonsboro to 51 yards of total offense in a 37-0 shutout victory over the Warriors on Wednesday evening.
Preston Carey led the offense with 168 rushing yards on only nine carries and scored three TDs, while Raughn Carter had 78 rushing yards and two TD runs, and fullback Jerrod Green added one TD run. Grant Tribble had 50 rushing yards in the victory.
Jake Clemmer and Green had eight tackles, Carey had seven tackles, and Mason Crawford and Jason Kegerise added six tackles. Carey had two sacks and Crawford and Devin Brooks each had fumble recovery in the shutout.
The Freshman Hubs move to (5-0) and will square-off with Boonsboro again next Wednesday at Callas Stadium at 5:00 PM.
Karlen, Stone lead JV Hubs past Smithsburg, 45-8
October 15, 2011---The windy conditions didn't effect the JV Hubs passing game as Nick Karlen completed 14-of-18 passes for 231 yards and three TDs to lead North Hagerstown to a 45-7 victory over Smithsburg on Saturday afternoon.
Karlen got the JV Hubs on the board with his legs to cap 10-play, 55 yard drive, with a four-yard TD scamper.
The JV Hubs would explode in the second quarter with a 27 points. Colton Wilkins caught a 7-yard Karlen pass for a TD and Nick DeGrange would haul in a 51-yard TD catch, while Austin Stone had a pair of TD runs to give the JV Hubs a commanding 33-0 lead at the half.
Stone would add another TD in the first possession of the second half with a 5-yard TD catch from Karlen.
The JV Hubs tailback would lead the Hubs with 128 yards, while Jason Hall would add 140 total yards (87 receiving, 53 rushing).
Cameron Tibbs had a monster game on defense with 16 tackles, two TFL's, and a sack. Hall would add 12 tackles and Robby Racedo had 11 tackles in the victory. Hall, Stone, and Ryan Keefer had fumble recoveries and Karlen had an INT in the victory.
The JV Hubs improve to (4-0-1) and will travel to Boonsboro next Wednesday.
Freshman Hubs blow past Leopards, 32-12
October 12, 2011---On a windy day when running the ball was the trend for both teams, the North Hagerstown Freshman Hubs used the passing game in the second half to seal a 32-12 victory over Smithsburg on Saturday afternoon at Callas Stadium.
North built an 18-0 halftime lead on the shoulders of their rushing attack keyed by Preston Carey and Raughn Carter. Carey scored on two TD runs, while Carter also found the end zone.
Smithsburg would cut the Hubs lead to twelve points just three minutes into the second half. Brenden Hult caught a 26-yard TD pass from Leopard QB Garrett Brenk.
The Leopards would stuff the Hubs on a three-and-out---forcing a punt from the North 27-yardline. The wind played a huge factor on the punt---as it netted just three yards.
The Purple and Gold would start in great field position---from the Hubs 30-yardline. The Hubs defense stepped up and stopped the Leopards on four straight plays.
The play of the game came on the ensuing Hubs drive as Jake Clemmer out-jumped the Smithsburg defender on a Mike Kisner pass to spark North. Kisner capped the drive with a 20-yard TD pass to Connor Moulton to give the Red & Black a 25-6 lead.
After a quick Leopards three-and-out, the Hubs wasted no time sealing the game with a Kisner-to-Clemmer 20-yard TD connection.
Ben Busch would add a 34-yard TD run for the Leopards with 2:20 remaining to round out the scoring.
The Hubs picked up 247 yards on the ground, while throwing for another 73 yards for 320 yards of total offense. Carey led the way on the ground with 163 yards, while Carter added 51 yards.
Jeremy Lum led the Hubs with 11 tackles, Clemmer had nine tackles, and Grant Tribble added eight tackles and two TFL's. Carey had a fumble recovery and Carter had an INT in the victory.
The Freshman Hubs improve to (4-0) and will travel to Boonsboro on Wednesday for a 5:00 PM kickoff.
Butler leads Hubs past Smithsburg with strong second half, 38-14
By JACK HILL IIIStaff Correspondent
HAGERSTOWN —The North Hagerstown Hubs broke open a close battle with the Smithsburg Leopards midway through the second half and scored a 38-14 victory on Friday night in an MVAL Antietam football game at Mike Callas Stadium.
“Offensiveline play was the key to our win tonight,” North coach Danny Cunningham said. “We put it on the shoulders of the offensive line and they came through in the second half. We got a great defensive effort tonight. We have still got a lot of work to do.”
Junior tailback Philip Butler gained 294 rushing yards on 24 carries with three touchdowns for the Hubs (5-2, 2-1).
“Philip did a great job,” Cunningham said. “He has a knack of finding the endzone.”
North got on the scoreboard first with 5:50 remaining in the first quarter on a safety when Smithsburg (2-5, 0-4) attempted a punt and the center snapped the ball over the punter’s head and through the end zone.
With 11:04 to go in the second quarter, sophomore tailback Isaiah Keyes returned a Leopards punt 65 yards up the middle for a touchdown. Sophomore kicker Mark Grunberg made the extrapoint to give the Hubs a 9-0 advantage.
Smithsburg quarterback Bradley Spickler’s 20-yard touchdownrun to the left side, and Clayton Layman’s extra point, pulled Smithsburg within 9-7 with 2:54 left in the first half.
The Leopards kicked off to start the second half and recovered the loose ball at the Hubs 5-yard line. Two plays later, Smithsburg took a 14-9 lead on Spickler’s 1-yard sneak and Layman added the extra point.
Just 43 seconds later, Butler came through with a 74-yard touchdown run as North took the lead for good at 15-14.
With 48 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Hubs punter J.T. Root kicked a 43-yard punt that stopped right before the goal line. On the next play, 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior defensive tackle Dylan Dopson tackled a Leopards running back in the end zone for a safety.
With 27 seconds to go in the third quarter, Butler broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown run and Grunberg kicked the extra point to give North a 24-14 lead.
With 10:08 left in the fourth quarter, Butler added a 37-yard touchdown run and Grunberg kicked the extra point to extend the Hubs’ lead to 31-14.
With 2:13 remaining, Keyes had a 4-yard touchdown run and Grunberg added the extra point to give the Hubs their final margin of victory.
North Hagerstown 38, Smithsburg 14 Smithsburg 0 7 7 0 — 14 North Hagerstown 2 7 15 14 — 38 First Quarter
NH — Safety (Snap flies over punter’s head and through end zone) Second Quarter
NH — Isaiah Keyes 65 punt return (Mark Grunberg kick)
S — Bradley Spickler 20 run (Clayton Layman kick) Third Quarter
S — Spickler 1 run (Layman kick)
NH — Phillip Butler 74 run (pass failed)
NH — Safety (Dylan Dopson tackled Smithsburg running back in end zone)
NH — Butler 50 run (Grunberg kick) Fourth Quarter
NH — Butler 37 run (Grunberg kick)
NH — Keyes 4 run (Grunberg kick)
Williamsport shocks Hubs, 16-14
by Mark Keller, Herald-Mail
HAGERSTOWN — When the last seconds of Saturday’s football game at Mike Callas Stadium finally ticked away, the Williamsport Wildcats and their faithful fans celebrated a victory unlike any they’d had in years.
It’s fair to say they partied like it was 1999.
Tyler Wise made the two most important catches of the game — one on offense, the other on defense — in the fourthquarter, and the Wildcats bounced back from a humiliating loss to Boonsboro last week to upset North Hagerstown 16-14 in an MVAL Antietam game at Callas Stadium.
The Wildcats (3-3, 1-2) earned their first win over North since 1999, snapping a nine-game losing streak in the series.
Williamsport also ended the Hubs’ streak of games with 30 points or more at eight.
“They’ve been scoring a lot of points, so our plan was to get some long drives, try to frustrate them and keep their offense off the field and off the scoreboard,” said Williamsport coach Randy Longnecker. “It’s nice when you have a game plan and everyone executes. I’ve never been more proud of a team than I am of these kids right now.”
The Wildcats took advantage of everything that North (4-2, 1-1) gave them, including six turnovers and 14 penalties for 115 yards.
Two of those North turnovers came in the fourth quarter. The first, a fumble on a bad pitch that was recovered by Williamsport’s Antonio Murphy, led to the Wildcats’ first touchdown and a 10-7 lead on a 1-yard run by Murphy with 5:54 left in the game.
The second was a diving interception of a J.T. Root pass by Wise that helped the Wildcats preserve their 16-14 lead with 1:34 remaining.
“You can’t win a game when you have six turnovers and that many penalties,” North coach Dan Cunningham said. “It’s just not going to happen. Even when we had the lead, we were never in the game. We didn’t execute and we were not focused today. Williamsport came out and had a great attitude, was very aggressive and we weren’t here.”
One bright spot for the Hubs was running back Phillip Butler, who accounted for more than 75 percent of North’s offense with 167 yards rushing on 25 carries. He got the Hubs on the scoreboard first in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run.
Butler also answered Murphy’s score in the fourth quarter by returning the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, giving North a 14-10 advantage with 5:42 remaining.
Williamsport began its next drive on its own 35 after North’s kickoff rolled out of bounds. The Hubs stuffed two runs up the middle, but quarterback T.J. Boyer — starting in place of the injured Brandon Jackson — found Jordan Palladino behind the defense on a third-down pass for 26 yards.
Runs by Murphy and Theron Palmer and a face masking penalty against the Hubs moved the ball to the North 10. On third down again, Boyer lofted a pass into the corner of the end zone, where Wise won the jump ball and came up with the go-ahead score.
“We completed a lot third-down plays today and that makes a huge difference,” Longnecker said. “And T.J. Boyer ... what a job he did today. He played great.”
Even after Wise’s interception — his second of the game — the Wildcats weren’t able to run out the clock. Boyer took a knee on first down, but the Hubs still had three timeouts remaining and used one there.
Murphy nearly made it a moot point by running for 13 yards on second-and-15, but he fumbled on third down and — after a mad scramble and a long conference by the officials — the Hubs regained possession with 1:10 left.
“If we aren’t the hard-luck kids,” Longnecker said of the fumble. “When that happened, it was just like ‘been here, seen this.’ It’s happened to us so many times.”
But the Wildcats pressured Root on North’s last possession as they had all day. Root fumbled and recovered the first-down snap and Brandon Starliper sacked him on second down.
Butler, Renner named MVAL Antietam Conference Players of the Week
October 6, 2011---North Hagerstown RB Phillip Butler and LB Roland Renner have been named Week #5 MVAL Antietam Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.
North's junior running back rushed 28 times for 208 yards and three touchdowns in the Hubs 34-32 come-from-behind victory over Brunswick last Friday evening. Renner had 13 tackles, inlcuding 11 solo, a forced fumble, a pass defense, and a QB pressure to win the weekly honor.
This is Butler's second Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.
Stone leads JV Hubs to 60-33 shootout victory over Williamsport
October 5, 2011---Austin Stone hasn't played in most of the last two games for the JV Hubs. On Wednesday he made up for lost time by rushing 26 times for 211 yards, while scoring seven total touchdowns in a wild 60-33 victory over Williamsport.
Nick Karlen was 16-for-22 passing for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Stone had four catches for 59 yards and a TD, Jason Hall had four catches for 53 yards and a TD, and Colton Wilkins had a nine-yard TD catch. Gene Balcita led the Hubs with six grabs for 41 yards.
The JV Hubs rushed for 323 yards on the ground and finished with 493 yards of total offense.
Robby Racedo and Balcita led the defense with seven tackles each, while Balcita also recovered two fumbles and Stone had one fumble pickup. Karlen had a INT in the victory.
The JV Hubs move to (3-0-1) and will travel to Smithsburg next Wednesday evening.
October 5, 2011---Preston Carey had 165 rushing yards, but if you added in his sideline to sideline yards he may be well over 300. Carey juked his way to three TDs in the Freshman Hubs 26-14 victory over Williamsport on Wednesday afternoon.
Raughn Carter added 78 yards rushing as the Hubs accumulated all their offense on the ground---finishing with 286.
Elijah Stubbs returned an interception 40 yards for a Hubs defensive touchdown, while Grant Tribble and Andrew Fiery also had INTs for North.
Jeremy Lum led the defense with 12 tackles, while Tribble added 11 tackles in the victory.
The Freshman Hubs stay perfect at (3-0) and will travel to Smithsburg next Wednesday for a 5PM kickoff.
BRUNSWICK, Md. — A bleak first half certainly didn’t provide any proof that North Hagerstown would be able to stage a rally against Brunswick on Friday night. But the Hubs dug down deep into their hearts and rallied from a 25-6 deficit in the third quarter for a thrilling 34-32 victory over Brunswick, spoiling the Railroaders
Homecoming celebration in a near three-hour contest. “We had some attitude coming out in the second half,” said North coach Dan Cunningham.
After Brunswick scored with 9:39 left in the third quarter on a 16-yard pass from Ian Fisher to Jake Struss, it appeared just a matter of time.
But North got rolling on both sides of the football. J.T. Root answered with an 8-yard pass to Kyle Hewlett and it was 25-13 after three quarters. Then, Phillip Butler took over with, in Cunningham's words, 'smash-mouth power football'.
Butler ran for successive fourth-quarter touchdown from 20, 9 and 56 yards, the last on a power run off tackle, to give the Hubs a 34-25 lead with 3:18 remaining. The run came after the Hubs' defense forced Fisher and the Railroaders to a three-and-out possession.
Brunswick scored on a 70-yard drive to close the gap to 34-32 with 46 seconds remaining, but a horrible onside kick allowed North to run out the clock. Mark Grunberg had a pair of 25-yard field goals for North's only first-half points.
Butler ran 26 times for 208 yards as North rushed for 292 yards and passed for another 52. Fisher, Brunswick's 6-foot-6, 250-pound quarterback, was frustrated at times and completed 19 of 41 passes for 267 yards.
"We put some different defensive packages in and we did a good job against (Fisher)", said Cunningham. "As for Butler, he's a player".
North 34, Brunswick 32
North 0 6 7 21 — 34
Brunswick 6 12 7 7--- 32
First Quarter
B-Davis Moore 7 pass from Joey Conrad (kick failed)
Second Quarter
N-Mark Grunberg 25 FG
N-Grunberg 25 field goal
B- Tate Rolland 5 run (run failed)
B-Blaine Price 59 pass from Ian Fisher (bad snap)
Third Quarter
B-Jake Struss 16 pass from Fisher (Rolland kick)
N-Kyle Hewlett 8 pass from J.T. Root (Grunberg kick)
Fourth Quarter
N-Phillip Butler 20 run (Grunberg Kick)
N-Butler 9 rrun (Grunberg kick)
N-Butler 56 run (Grunberg Kick)
B-Rolland 6 run (Rolland kick)
JV Hubs, Fort Hill battle to 34-34 tie
Spetember 26, 2011---For 40 minutes The North Hagerstown JV Hubs and the Fort Hill Sentinels rolled up 774 yards of total offense and 68 points---but in the end the scoreboard at Greenway Ave Stadium read: Hubs 34, Fort Hill 34.
North had good balance on offense with 221 yards in the air and 204 yards on the ground, while outgaining Fort Hill, 425-349.
Preston Carey had 302 total yards and two touchdowns, Nick Karlen was 10-for-12 passing, for 221 yards, and two TD's, and Nick DeGrange had 93 receiving yards and a TD.
Gene Balcita scored a rushing TD and had a TD catch---one of his three grabs. Crosse Barvinchack and Jason Hall also had three receptions. Karlen ran for a two-point conversion and threw another to Hall.
Cameron Tibbs led the Hubs with 12 tackles, Hall had 11 tackles, Robby Racedo had eight tackles and a fumble recovery, and Aaron Miller had six tackles and a sack.
The JV Hubs (2-0-1) will travel to Williamsport next Wednesday for a rematch with the Wildcats.
Hubs cut down Silver Oak, 43-18
HAGERSTOWN — North Hagerstown coach Dan Cunningham knows what he does isn’t rocket science. It’s just football.
But still, Friday’s 43-18 victory over Silver Oak Academy was one giant leap for his team and one small step for Hub-kind.
“These guys play hard,” Cunningham said. “The defense had to battle and the offense isn’t in sync. We put the ball on the turf a lot. Our skill guys work hard and our line has been great. We took baby steps, but we are getting better.”
Small strides were good enough against Silver Oak Academy (1-3), which had scored just 12 points in its first three games combined. North’s offense outdid the defense to get an early lead and pull away for the victory.
Phillip Butler ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback J.T. Root threw for three more with limited passing as the Hubs (3-1) won their second straight game.
North jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game and never looked back, although the Rams did test the Hubs a little.
“We are still learning and we have a lot of guys in new positions,” Cunningham said. “We had a whole new linebacking corps in because of some injuries. We are doing some bad things, but we are learning from our mistakes.”
North took advantage of the Rams before they got their bearings, though. Root hit Nick Colvin with a 13-yard scoring pass and JoshHill with a 2-yard throw — with a safety coming between the two scores — to give North the early 15-0 lead.
From there, Silver Oak made it a game, playing the Hubs to a 28-18 score for the game’s final 45 minutes.
Silver Oak’s Raykwon Young scored from the 3 to put the Rams on the board to cut the deficit to 15-6 after the first quarter.
“We keep moving the ball, but we keep finding ways to shoot ourselves in the foot,” Cunningham said. “They were a little quicker than us.”
North took a 22-6 lead after Butler broke loose for a 59-yard burst up the middle to gain control. The Hubs led 22-12 at the half.
North used basic offense with the runninggame to control the ball for much of the second half. Root found J.R. Railing for a 7-yard scoring pass to put the Hubs up 29-12 after three quarters.
Butler ran in from the 6 and the 24 in the fourth quarter to close the scoring. Silver Oak got a 25-yard run by Young on the final play of the game to close the final deficit to 25.
North Hagerstown 43, Silver Oak Academy 18 Silver Oak 6 6 0 6 — 18 North 15 7 7 14 — 43 First Quarter NH – Nick Colvin 13 pass from J.T. Root (kick failed) NH – Safety, Patrick Young tackled in endzone NH – Josh Hill 2 pass from Root (Mark Grunberg kick) SO – Raykwon Young 3 run (kick failed) Second Quarter NH – Phillip Butler 59 run (Grunberg kick) SO – Devonte Crawford 1 run (kick failed) Third Quarter NH – J.R. Railing 7 pass from Root (Grunberg kick) Fourth Quarter NH – Butler 6 run (Grunberg kick) NH – Butler 24 run (Grunberg kick) SO – Young 25 run (no kick)
2011 3A West Playoff Standings Accumulated Points Point Average
1-Damascus 3-0 9.00
2-Seneca Valley 3-0 8.67
3-Thomas Johnson 3-0 7.33
4-Urbana 2-1 5.67
5-Frederick 2-1 5.33
6-Linganore 2-1 5.00
7-Einstein 2-1 4.67
8-South Hagerstown 2-1 4.33
9-North Hagerstown 2-1 3.67
10-Tuscarora 1-2 2.67
11-Northwood 1-2 2.33
12-Watkins Mill 1-22.00
13-Rockville 0-3 0.00
Butler named MVAL Antietam Conference co-offensive Player of the Week
September 21, 2011---North Hagerstown junior running back Phillip Butler has been named Week #3 MVAL Antietam Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his record breaking performance against Oakdale.
Butler scored a Hubs Football record five touchdowns in North's 47-36 victory over the Bears on Friday night. He (Butler) had four rushing TD's and one touchdown on the defensive side of the ball, along with rushing for 133 yards. His final TD sealed the victory against Oakdale.
The junior running back is the second North player to be honored as conference player of the week this season. Dylan Dopson earned defensive player of the week for the first week against Roosevelt.
Butler shared this week's honor with Brunswick QB Ian Fisher for his record breaking performance against North Carroll. Fisher threw for over 400 yards in the win.
JV Hubs shutout Williamsport, 26-0
September 17, 2011---Colton Wilkins scored two first quarter touchdowns to pace the North Hagerstown JV Hubs to a spirited 26-0 shutout victory over Williamsport on Saturday afternoon at Callas Stadium.
The JV Hubs lost starting tailback Austin Stone to injury early in the game, but the JV Hubs rallied around their injured captain and posted three first quarter scores en route to a 26-point win.
Wilkins capped a five play, 61-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to give the Hubs a 6-0 lead.
On the following Williamsport possession North's Crosse Barvinchack jarred the ball loose on a QB sack. Wilkins scooped up the loose ball and returned it 59 yards for another Hubs score and a 12-0 advantage.
After another defensive stop, the Hubs needed only one play to add to their lead. QB Nick Karlen took the snap and scrambled until he found an open Nick DeGrange downfield. DeGrange reeled in the pass for a 45-yard touchdown catch to give North an 18-0 lead.
North would add one more score before the half with a nine-play, 77-yard drive. The Hubs two-minute offense worked to perfection as Karlen connected with Barvinchack for a 15-yard TD.
Karlen then hooked up with Gene Balcita for the two-point conversion---putting the Hubs ahead, 26-0.
Williamsport dominated the time of possesion in the second half, however the inspired Hubs defense didn't break and kept the Cats out of the endzone, preserving the shutout.
The Hubs finished with 302 yards of total offense. Karlen was 10-for-14, for 127 yards passing, and two TD's, Wilkins had 78 yards on six carries, and Jason Hall added 65 yards on seven carries.
Balcita led the Hubs with four catches for 29 yards, while DeGrange had two grabs for 60 yards and Barvinchack had two recpetions for 29 yards.
Aaron Miller and Hall led the defense with 10 tackles each and Barvinchack had eight tackles and four QB sacks. Cameron Tibbs added eight tackles, while Robby Racedo, Tyler Nichols, and Balcita chipped in with six tackles each.
The JV Hubs improve to (2-0) and will have a week off before traveling to Cumberland to take on Fort Hill.
Freshman Hubs roar back to defeat Williamsport, 48-16
September 17, 2011---On Wednesday evening Williamsport took an 8-0 lead on the Hubs before a nasty thunderstorm halted the game with just over a minute to play in the first quarter.
After trailing Williamsport for more than 65 hours, North returned to the field Saturday morning and outscored the Wildcats 48-8 en route to a commanding 48-16 victory.
North's offense rolled up 407 yards of offense, including 335 on the ground. Preston Carey returned to action and led the ground game with a 175 yards and two touchdown.
North QB Mike Kisner found Brady Thomas for three touchdown passes. Thomas' three TD grabs sets a freshman single-game record.
Raughn Carter and Grant Tibble also had touchdown runs in the victory.
Jeremy Lum and Tribble led the defense with 10 tackles each, while Jarrod Green had six tackles. Carter and Matty Ricker had interceptions and Lum and Jason Kegerise had one sack each.
The Freshman Hubs move to (2-0) and will take 17 days off before traveling to Williamsport for a rematch with the Wildcats.
Butler's school record five TDs lead Hubs past Oakdale
HAGERSTOWN — North Hagerstown’s football team survived a high-scoring fourth quarter Friday night to defeat Oakdale 47-36 at Mike Callas Stadium.
Junior tailback Phillip Butler scored five touchdowns for the Hubs (2-1). Butler’s first touchdown came on a 20-yard interception return, and his last four touchdowns came on runs. Butler gained 131 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Oakdale (0-3) held a 36-33 lead with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Junior fullback Kyle Hewlett broke loose for a 37-yard touchdownrun to the left side with 3:54 to go, and Mark Grunberg kicked the extra point — one of his five — to give North the lead for good at 40-36.
Just 1:34 later, Butler ripped off a 28-yard touchdown run to the left side and Grunberg added the extrapoint to give the Hubs the final margin of victory.
The Hubs got on the scoreboard first just 14 seconds into the game on Butler’s interception and Grunberg’s kick.
Just 4:29 later, Butler scored on a 33-yard run to the left side and Grunberg added the kick to give the Hubs a 14-0 advantage.
Junior Nicholas Sponyoe finished with three touchdown runs for the Bears. Sponyoe’s first two touchdowns came in the second quarter on runs of 6 and 2 yards. Kevin Heine added two extra-point kicks as Oakdale evened the score at 14.
Senior quarterback Justin Root scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give the Hubs a 20-14 halftime advantage.
Root also contributed on special teams as he had three punts of 49, 33 and 46 yards — an average of 42.2 yards per punt.
Just 1:55 into the third quarter, Butler added a 37-yard touchdown run to the right side and Grunberg kicked the extra point to boost the Hubs’ lead to 27-14.
Then came the high-scoring fourth quarter.
Oakdale got a 10-yard touchdown run by Pablo Utrera, then a 51-yard touchdown pass from Crosby Winters to Heine and a two-point conversion run by Jay Molnar to take the lead at 28-27.
Butler had a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Hubs on top, 33-28.
Sponyoe’s 18-yard touchdown run and Molnar’s two-point conversion run enabled the Bears to regain the lead at 36-33.
That set the stage for North Hagerstown’s heroics in the finalfour minutes to win the game.
North Hagerstown 47, Oakdale 36 Oakdale 0 14 0 22 — 36 North Hagerstown 14 6 7 20 — 47
Freshman - JV Games rescheduled for Saturday
September 15, 2011---The Freshman and Junior Varsity games wiped out by yesterday's thunderstorms have been rescheduled for Saturday. The completion of the freshman game against Williamsport will start at 10:00 AM at Mike Callas Stadium, while the JV game against Williamsport will follow.
Hubs fall as Cadets get best of friends
By BRETT NIEVESStaff Correspondent Herald-Mail
HAGERSTOWN— Frederick’s Vince Ahearn and North Hagerstown’s Dan Cunningham worked together over the summer, coaching a handful of players from both their squads in an NFL-sponsored 7-on-7 tournament.
The two coaches and their players were on opposite sides on the field Saturday night, and Ahearn’s Cadets upended Cunningham’s Hubs 38-30.
“It was a tough game for both the coaches and the players,” Ahearn said. “We played together over the summer and no one wanted to see the other team fail.”
Frederick grabbed an 8-7 lead early in the second quarter and never relinquished it. The Hubs battled back late in the game and, trailing by eight points, couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-five and turned the ball over on downs, which ultimately ended the game.
Despite making a key stop late in the game, Ahearn said the Cadets’ defense needs some fine tuning.
“We have some serious defensive issues that need to be worked out,” Ahearn said. “It was great to get the win, but we need a lot of work on the defensive side of the ball.”
Offensively, Frederick (2-0) was prolific. Quarterback Matthew Hynes completed 8 of 14 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cadets had some success running the ball, too, as Jerel English ran for 94 yards on 14 carries and reached paydirt twice.
North (1-1) scored the game’s first tocuhdown as an 11-play drive was capped by a 9-yard touchdown strike from J.T. Root to Josh Hall.
Frederick answered back in the second quarter when Hynes hit Jalen Gee on a 21-yard touchdown pass. The Cadets successfully converted the two-point conversion to take an 8-7 advantage.
Another 21-yard touchdown pass from Hynes, a 6-yard TD run by English and two two-point conversions gave Frederick a 24-14 lead at the break. English scored again in the third quarter to give the Cadets a 32-14 lead.
A drive-saving 37-yard run by Root followed by a 36-yard touchdown run by Kyle Hewlett and a successful two-point conversion pulled North within 10 late in the third.
After Frederick went up 38-22 in the fourth, Root scampered into the end zone in the and converted another two-point conversion to trim the lead to eight.
“The kids battled tonight,” Cunningham said. “We’ll rebound from this, and it will make us a better team.”
Dopson named MVAL Antietam Conference Defensive Player of the Week
September 8, 2011---North Hagerstown senior defensive lineman Dylan Dopson was named co-defensive player of the week for his efforts against Roosevelt last Friday.
Dopson had three tackles, a sack, a QB hurry, and a fumble recovery that he returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
JV Hubs roll past South, 34-6
September 3, 2011---The North Hagerstown JV Hubs rolled up 399 yards of total offense en route to a season-opening victory over cross town rival South Hagerstown on Saturday afternoon at School Stadium.
The Hubs had 11 different players carry the football for 297 yards on 38 carries. Austin Stone led the way with 10 carries for 180 yards and a TD. Jason Hall had 101 total yards (61 rushing, 40 recv) and a TD.
Gene Balcita caught a touchdown and had one on the ground, while Crosse Barvinchack caught a 15-yard TD. QB Nick Karlen was 7-for-9 passing for 102 yards and three touchdowns.
Barvinchack, Hall, Cameron Tibbs, and Aaron Miller led the defense with five tackles each, while Karlen had two interceptions. Barvinchack also had two sacks in the victory.
The JV Hubs move to (1-0, 1-0 conf) and will have10 days off until they come home to face Williamsport on September 14.
Freshman Hubs hold off South for opening day victory, 16-14
September 3, 2011---Raughn Carter had only three days to prepare to play tailback in his first high school football game. Due to a suspension---Carter filled in nicely at tailback and rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries and a TD to lead the North Hagerstown Freshman Hubs to a 16-14 win over South Hagerstown.
Jake Clemmer caught a nine-yard TD from Mike Kisner to give the Hubs the lead for good. Kisner finished 4-for-8, 81 yards, 1 TD, while rushing for 31 yards.
Aaron Dopson led the Freshman Hubs defense with 11 tackles and four TFL's, Clemmer had eight tackles, and Grant Tribble had seven tackles. Elijah Stubbs had two INT's in the win.
Hubs demolish Roosevelt in opener, 54-0
by Mark Keller, Herald-Mail
HAGERSTOWN — North Hagerstown football coach Dan Cunningham loves it when a plan comes together.
The Hubs spread the ball around offensively, and their aggressive defense forced five turnovers as North routed Theodore Roosevelt 54-0 Friday night in its season opener at Mike Callas Stadium.
“The kids did a heck of a job playing to our game plan,” Cunningham said. “Defensively, we played really well. We threw the ball well. We did a lot of things well tonight.”
The Hubs (1-0) picked off Roosevelt quarterback Terrell Blackmon four times, including two that were returned for touchdowns in the first quarter.
Dylan Dopson recorded the other takeaway for the Hubs … literally. He rushed into the backfield in the third quarter and essentially took a handoff from Blackmon, returning it 25 yards for a score.
The only sustained drive of the game was the first. North took the opening kickoff and drove 77 yards in 10 plays, scattering carries between four running backs along the way. Phillip Butler got the final two carries, plowing in from the 3 to give the Hubs the lead.
The Roughriders followed with their longest drive of the half, but it lasted only six plays. After a punt, the Hubs again went 77 yards for a score, with most of that yardage coming on a 69-yard run by Isaiah Keyes. J.T. Root punched it in from the 1 for a 14-0 edge.
From there, it went from bad to worse for Roosevelt.
North kicker Mark Grunberg consistently pinned the Roughriders deep in their own end with his kickoffs, putting their backs to the wall and forcing them to gamble for bigger gains.
Instead, it was the Hubs who made the big plays, with Tre Anderson and Kyle Hewlett picking off back-to-back passes and returning them 30 yards each for touchdowns just 16 seconds apart to give North a 28-0 lead through one quarter.
“We had them on their heels early, and we were able to just pin our ears back and go after them,” Cunningham said.
Penalties did in the Roughriders in the second quarter.
Roosevelt was flagged 10 times in that period alone, moving it backward 86 yards in all. The cruelest was an illegal formation call that erased a 73-yard touchdown pass by the Roughriders.
With the lost yards in penalties combined with minus-13 yards offensively, the Roughriders lost a total of 99 yards in the second quarter.
Roosevelt 0 0 0 0 — 0 North Hagerstown 28 14 12 0 — 54 First Quarter NH — Philip Butler 3 run (Mark Grunberg kick) NH — J.T. Root 1 run (Grunberg kick) NH — Tre Anderson 30 interception return (Grunberg kick) NH — Kyle Hewlett 30 interception return (Grunberg kick) Second Quarter NH — Hewlett 2 run (Grunberg kick) NH — Butler 3 run (Grunberg kick) Third Quarter NH — Dylan Dopson 25 fumble return (kick blocked) NH — Isaiah Keyes 13 run (pass failed)
Join North Hagerstown Athletic Boosters Please join the Athletic Boosters Now in time for the Sports Program. For $20 you get a family membership pass for you and your school age children to two (2) Regular season home games of your choice, excluding any North/South games, and a free gift from the boosters! Plus, you get ONE FREE 1/8 page black & white personal player ad in the sports program.
Six Hubs selected for Cleveland NFL 7-on-7 Tournament
July 4, 2011---J.T. Root, Josh Hall, Tre Anderson, Nick Colvin, Phillip Butler, and Kyle Hewlett will travel to Cleveland, OH and represent the Hubs and the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL 7-on-7 tournament. Coach Dan Cunningham will serve as a assistant coach for the team. We wish them luck in the tourney.
Hubs compete in Ravens 7-on-7 Tournament
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Hubs advance to Ravens Stadium with big day in Frederick
FREDERICK, Md. — North Hagerstown competed in the Ravens 7-on-7 Passing Tournament over a two-week period that concluded Saturday.
The Hubs earned wins over Centennial 6-2, Century 5-3 and Linganore 6-4, but lost to Briar Woods 6-5.
In the first week of competition at St. Paul’s in Towson, North posted wins over Edgewood 7-2, Archbishop Spalding 8-7 and Walkersville 4-2. The Hubs’ only loss came against No. 1 Good Council 7-5.
North will next compete in a double-elimination tournament on July 1 at Ravens Stadium against a field that includes River Hill, Baltimore Poly, Good Council, Frederick, Briar Woods, DeMatha and McDonogh.
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